Allentown Jets

{{Infobox basketball club

| name = Allentown Jets

| color1 = #ffffff

| color2 = #e57c0b

| color3 = #0549b7

| logo = Allentown Jets logo.png

| nickname =

| leagues = EPBL (1958–1970)
EBA (1970–78)
CBA (1978–1981)

| conference =

| division =

| founded = 1957 (as Wilmington Jets)

| folded = 1981

| history = Wilmington Jets (1957–1958)
Allentown Jets
(1958–1979)
Lehigh Valley Jets
(1979–1981)

| arena = Rockne Hall at Allentown Central Catholic High School

| capacity =

| location = Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| colors = blue, orange, white
{{color box|#0549b7}} {{color box|#e57c0b}} {{color box|#ffffff}}

| current =

| sponsor =

| media =

| president =

| vice-presidents =

| manager =

| coach =

| captain =

| ownership =

| championships = 8 1962, 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976

| conf_champs =

| div_champs = 11 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980

}}

The Allentown Jets were a minor league basketball team that played in the Eastern Professional Basketball League (later the Eastern Basketball Association and Continental Basketball Association) from 1958 to 1981. The team was one of the most successful franchises in CBA/Eastern League history, winning eight playoff championships and 12 division titles.

Originally formed in 1957 as the Wilmington Jets, the team relocated in 1958 to Allentown, Pennsylvania.{{cite web|title=History of the Eastern League|url=http://www.apbr.org/ebl4678.html|publisher=Association for Professional Basketball Research|access-date=December 6, 2012}} Among the Jets' top players were center Roman "Big Daddy" Turmon, Ray Scott NBA player and coach, scorer-rebounder Harthorne Wingo and 3-point specialist Brendan McCann. The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame inducted Richard Koffenberger, who played for the team in Wilmington. The Jets had a working agreement with the New York Knicks, who sent several players to Allentown for playing time.

Scott was the fourth player picked in the US in the 1961 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons, the Jets PR maestro, Johnny Kimock navigated this successful transition making the Jets one of the elite EBL teams.

In 1964, the Jets played an interleague contest with the Grand Rapids Tackers of the Midwest Professional Basketball League. The Jets won 138–136, winning the only minor league "World Series of Basketball" interpromotional game ever held.

In 1979, the franchise rebranded itself as the "Lehigh Valley Jets," in an effort to greater regionalize its fanbase; however, after the 1980–81 season the Jets closed up for good.{{cite web|title=History of the Continental Basketball Association|url=http://www.apbr.org/cba7801.html|publisher=Association for Professional Basketball Research|access-date=December 6, 2012}}

Year-by-year

class="wikitable"

!Year

!League

!Gp

!W

!L

!Pct.

!Reg. Season

!Playoffs

1958/59

|EPBL

|28

|6

|22

|.214

|8th

|did not qualify

1959/60

|EPBL

|27

|15

|12

|.556

|3rd

|Lost EPBL Semifinals 139–102 Vs Easton Madisons

1960/61

|EPBL

|28

|19

|9

|.679

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|Won EPBL Semi Finals 129–97 Vs Sunbury Mercuries, Lost EBPL Finals 119–104 Vs Baltimore Bullets

1961/62

|EPBL

|27

|22

|5

|.815

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EPBL Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Trenton Colonials, Won EPBL Championship 2–1 Vs Williamsport Billies

1962/63

|EPBL

|28

|20

|8

|.714

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EPBL Semi Finals 2–1 Vs Williamsport Billies, Won EPBL Championship 2–1 Vs Wilkes-Barre Barons

1963/64

|EPBL

|28

|21

|7

|.750

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|Lost EPBL Semifinals 2–1 Vs Trenton Colonials

1964/65

|EPBL

|28

|16

|12

|.571

|4th

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EPBL Semi Finals 2–1 Vs Camden Bullets, Won EPBL Championship 2–1 Vs Scranton Miners

1965/66

|EPBL

|28

|15

|13

|.536

|3rd, Eastern

|Lost EPBL Eastern Division Semi Finals 133–114 Vs Trenton Colonials

1966/67

|EPBL

|28

|19

|9

|.679

|2nd, Western

|Won Western Division Semi Finals 2–1 Vs Sunbury Mercuries, Lost Western Division Finals 2–1 Vs Scranton Miners

1967/68

|EPBL

|32

|23

|9

|.719

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EPBL Semi Finals 2–1 Vs Wilmington Blue Bombers, Won EPBL Championship 3–2 Vs Wilkes-Barre Barons

1968/69

|EPBL

|28

|15

|13

|.536

|3rd, Western

|Lost EPBL Western division Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Scranton Miners

1969/70

|EPBL

|28

|20

|8

|.714

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EPBL Semi Finals 2–1 Vs Hamden Bics, Won EPBL Championship Series 3–2 Vs Wilmington Blue Bombers

1970/71

|EBA

|28

|15

|13

|.536

|2nd, Southern

|Won Southern Division Semi Finals 2–1 Vs Sunbury Mercuries, Lost Southern Division Finals 2–1 Vs Scranton Apollos

1971/72

|EBA

|30

|21

|9

|.700

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EBA Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Trenton Pat Pavers, Won EBA Championship 3–2 Vs Scranton Apollos

1972/73

|EBA

|32

|15

|17

|.469

|4th

|Lost EBA Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Hartford Capitols

1973/74

|EBA

|28

|20

|8

|.714

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st, Western

|Won Western Division Finals 2–1 Vs Scranton Apollos, Lost EBA Finals 3–2 Vs Hartford Capitols

1974/75

|EBA

|30

|16

|14

|.533

|2nd

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EBA Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Scranton Apollos, Won EBA Championship 2–1 Vs Hazleton Bullets

1975/76

|EBA

|27

|24

|3

|.889

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Won EBA Semi Finals 3–2 Vs Hazleton Bullets, Won EBA Championship 3–2 Vs Lancaster Red Roses

1976/77

|EBA

|26

|21

|5

|.808

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st

|Lost EBA Finals 3–1 Vs Scranton Apollos

1977/78

|EBA

|31

|17

|14

|.548

|4th, Western

|did not qualify

1978/79

|CBA

|41

|21

|20

|.512

|2nd, Southern

|Won CBA First Round 2–1 Vs Jersey Shore Bullets, Lost Semifinals 3–1 Vs Rochester Zeniths

1979/80

|CBA

|31

|19

|12

|.613

| bgcolor="B3B7FF" |1st, Southern

|Lost CBA Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Maine Lumberjacks

1980/81

|CBA

|40

|16

|24

|.400

|4th, Eastern

|Lost CBA Semi Finals 2–0 Vs Rochester Zeniths

Totals

|EPBL/EBA

|570

|360

|210

|.632

|

|

Totals

|CBA

|112

|56

|56

|.500

|

|

Franchise Totals

|–

|682

|416

|266

|.610

|

|

References

{{reflist}}